Brooklyn Bridge, NY Postcard

The next postcard is the night view of Brooklyn Bridge with the Twin Towers still standing in the background.

The Brooklyn Bridge, one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, stretches 5,989 feet (1825 m) over the East River connecting the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. On completion, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world and the first steel-wire suspension bridge. Originally referred to as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, it was dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge in an 1867 letter to the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and formally so named by the city government in 1915.

Brooklyn Bridge Postcard
(Trade with Barbara Sussman)

The bridge was designed by German-born John Augustus Roebling in Trenton, New Jersey. Washington Roebling became assistant engineer on the Brooklyn Bridge, and rose to chief engineer after John Roebling's death in mid-1869. He made several important improvements on the bridge design and further developed bridge building techniques. Construction began in January 3, 1870. The Brooklyn Bridge was completed thirteen years later and was opened for use on May 24, 1883. The towers are built of limestone, granite, and Rosendale cement. Their architectural style is Gothic, with characteristic pointed arches above the passageways through the stone towers.

Design: Suspension/Cable-stay Hybrid

Longest span: 1,595 feet 6 inches (486.3 m)Total length: 5,989 feet (1825 m)Width: 85 feet (26 m)Clearance below: 135 feet (41 m) at mid-span

SOURCE:
Brooklyn Bridge Wikipedia Entry

Robert Moses Causeway Postcard

The Robert Moses Causeway is an 8.10-mile (13.04 km) long parkway in Suffolk County, New York. The parkway, originally known as the Captree Causeway, connects West Islip on Long Island to the barrier beach islands, such as Captree Island, Jones Beach Island, and the western tip of Fire Island, to the south. Robert Moses was the "master builder" of mid-20th century New York City, Long Island, and Westchester County, New York.

Robert Moses Causeway Postcard
(Trade with Barbara Sussman)

The Robert Moses Causeway begins at the Southern Parkway as a short parkway with four lanes. It runs to the south past Sunrise Highway (NY 27) and Montauk Highway (NY 27A) and then goes over a long bridge over Great South Bay to Captree Island. It then goes over a short drawbridge. On the other side, there is an exit for the Ocean Parkway and Captree State Park. After this exit, the road narrows down to two lanes. It goes over a final bridge to Robert Moses State Park on Fire Island, where it ends.

The first section of the Robert Moses Causeway, between the Southern State Parkway and EXIT RM2 (NY 27A / Montauk Highway) in West Islip, was completed in 1953. The first causeway bridge, which had one northbound and one southbound lane, was opened to traffic in April 1954. The final link of the Robert Moses Causeway opened in 1964.

SOURCES:
Robert Moses Causeway Wikipedia Entry
Robert Moses Causeway

Springfield Memorial Bridge Postcard

The Memorial Bridge is a reinforced-concrete arch bridge that spans the Connecticut River between Springfield, Massachusetts and West Springfield, Massachusetts. The Connecticut River was first bridged at Springfield in 1805, by an open wooden bridge said to have been "mongrel in style." This collapsed in 1814 and was replaced by a covered wooden Burr arch-truss bridge built by Isaac Damon of Northampton.

Springfield Memorial Bridge Postcard
(Trade with Barbara Sussman)

In 1915, the Hampden County Commissioners opened hearings to discuss construction of a new bridge, but it wasn't until the winter of 1918/19 that the location and overall design of the present concrete arch bridge were finally agreed upon. The bridge was built in 1922 by H.P. Converse & Co. (at $3,254,883) and was designed by Fay Spofford & Thorndike, with Haven & Hoyt, architects. The completed bridge was opened to traffic on August 3, 1922. When the bridge was refurbished in 1992, Fay Spofford & Thorndike was again involved.

The four plaques on the central towers honor the original colonists, and veterans of the American Revolutionary War, American Civil War, and World War I.

Design : reinforced-concrete arch bridgeLongest span : 209 ft (63.7 m)Total length : 1515 ft (461.8 m)Width 82.5 ft: (25.1 m)

SOURCE:Memorial Bridge, Massachusetts Highway Department

Porter's Bluff Bridge Postcard

Unfortunately the postcard does not mention the name of the bridge, so I had hard time researching information about it. Thanks to Historic Bridges of the US website, I was able to find a similar bridge, if not exact, in the White River area. The name I found is Porter's Bluff Bridge. The two images have the same span design (if that's what you call it), so I concluded they must be the same bridge!

Porter's Bluff Bridge Postcard
(PH Wish from Janet Durfee)

Overview: Lost through truss over White River (now Beaver Lake) on AR 12 east of Rogers
Location: Benton County, Arkansas
Status: Replaced by a modern bridge in conjunction with the creation of Beaver Lake
History: Built 1904; replaced 1963
Design: Main span: Pin-connected, 11-panel Parker through truss

Porter's Bluff Bridge (BridgeHunter)

SOURCE:
Historic Bridges of the US: Porter's Bluff Bridge (text and image)

Mackinac Bridge Postcards

The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the non-contiguous Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Designed by engineer David B. Steinman, the bridge (familiarly known as "Big Mac" and "Mighty Mac") connects the city of St. Ignace on the north end with the village of Mackinaw City on the south. The bridge opened on November 1, 1957. It opened to traffic on schedule on November 1, 1957, and was formally dedicated on June 25, 1958.

Mackinac Bridge Postcard 1
(PH Wish from Karen Brzezinski)

The Mackinac Bridge is the longest suspension bridge with two towers between anchorages (8,614 feet) (2,626 m) in the Western Hemisphere. The length of the bridge's main span is 3,800 feet (1,158 m), which makes it the third-longest suspension span in the United States and twelfth longest worldwide.
The bridge is painted foliage green and ivory white, and at night bluish vapor lamps light up the roadway while maize-colored spotlights shine on the main towers.

Mackinac Bridge Postcard 2
(PH Wish from Janet Durfee)

Design: Suspension bridgeLongest span: 3,800 feet (1,158 m)Total length: 26,372 feet (8,038 m)Width: 68 feet (20.7 m)Height: 522 feet (159 m)Vertical clearance: 200 feet (61 m)Clearance below: 155 feet (47 m)Construction cost: $99.8 million (1957 USD; adjusted for inflation, approximately $732 million, 2007 USD)

SOURCE:
Mackinac Bridge Wikipedia Entry